The Little Rusalka
by DarkDancer07
Summary: Dark alternative ending to Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. After choosing death instead of killing the Prince, the Little Mermaid is initiated into the rites of the Rusakli, a sisterhood of dark undead spirits of the sea. In her new existence as a Rusalka, she is given the chance to seek vengeance on those responsible for her death, but will she take it? Pls R&R
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

**The Mermaid's Revenge**

_Well for the first time in so long, I am back writing on Fanfiction!_

_I do apologise for my long negligence, but I have been really busy trying to sort myself out and this new story marks my return._

_My new story is an alternative ending to The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, in which the Little Mermaid joins a group of dark creatures instead of the Daughters of the Air after she becomes foam on the sea._

_I've always wondered what would've happened if the Prince somehow found out he married the wrong girl and I've always felt that he should've found out. This ending has also been inspired by one of my favourite ballets, Giselle._

_I hope you'll all enjoy it and it's good to be back. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 1: A New Beginning**

A hush came over the ship. Only the helmsman remained on deck as the Little Mermaid or Marina, as the Prince had named her because she came to him from the sea, leaned her white arms on the bulwarks and looked to the east to see the first red hint of daybreak, for she knew that the first flash of the sun would strike her dead. Then she saw her sisters rise up among the waves. They were as pale as she, and there was no sign of their lovely long hair that the breezes used to blow. It had all been cut off.

"We have given our hair to the witch," they said, "so that she would send you help, and save you from death tonight. She gave us a knife. Here it is. See the sharp blade! Before the sun rises, you must strike it into the Prince's heart and when his warm blood bathes your feet, they will grow together and become a fish tail. Then you will be a mermaid again, able to come back to us in the sea and live out your three hundred years before you die and turn into dead sea-foam. Make haste! He or you must die before sunrise. Our old grandmother is so grief-stricken that her white hair is falling fast, just as ours did under the witch's scissors. Kill the Prince and come back to us. Hurry! Hurry! See that red glow in the heavens! In a few minutes, the sun will rise and you must die."

So saying, they gave a strange deep sigh and sank beneath the waves.

Marina parted the purple curtains of the tent and saw the beautiful bride asleep with her head on the Prince's breast. Marina bent down and kissed his shapely forehead. She looked at the sky, fast reddening for the break of day. She looked at the sharp knife and again turned her eyes toward the Prince, who in his sleep murmured the name of his bride. His thoughts were all of her and the knife trembled in Marina's hand. But then she flung it from her, far out over the waves. Where it fell, the waves were red, as if bubbles of blood seethed the water. With eyes already glazing, she looked once more at the Prince, hurled herself over the bulwarks into the sea and felt her body dissolve in foam.

The sun rose up from the waters. Its beams fell, warm and kindly upon the chill sea-foam, but Marina felt a force as cold as death itself pulling her away from the warmth and brightness of the sun into the dark depths of the sea. On the seabed, she saw dozens of beautiful beings. They were so translucent that she could almost see right through them. They were as pale as she, if not paler, they all had long hair and there was a cold look in their eyes that looked colder than the waters of the sea. They were not mermaids for they had human legs and they wore dresses of greyish-blue with hair bands of blue flowers, but one wore a crown of blue flowers and the others parted to make room for her as she approached Marina.

"Welcome dear Marina, welcome to your new life," she said and her voice sounded as though it carried very sorrowful emotion in the world.

"And who are you?" Marina asked.

"I am the Queen of the Rusalki," she answered, "and these are my Rusalki daughters. We are all just like you, Marina. We too were once happy, alive and in love, but just like you, we are the victims of rejection and heartbreak in the hands of the ones we loved and our heartbreaks ultimately led to our deaths here in the sea. But we were given a second chance; a chance to return to earth and live forever as one of the undead. We live here as undead spirits, haunting our former homes and our place of death. But to haunt our former homes is not our sole reason to rise from the waters at sunset, for every Rusalka is given the chance to seek vengeance on the one who was responsible for her death. You may take that chance, Marina; the choice is all yours, but first, come with me."

The Queen of the Rusalki took Marina by the hand and led her into the large group of the many Rusalki.

"Prepare her," ordered the Queen.

The Rusalki stripped Marina of her beautiful bridesmaid dress and dressed her in a dress identical to theirs. Indeed, she looked beautiful, as if she were a bride of the sea. Once this was done, the Queen approached her and ordered her to kneel. Marina obeyed without hesitation and on her head, the Queen placed a hair band of blue flowers, identical to the ones the others wore. Then she kissed her forehead and Marina felt a strange coldness running through her to her heart.

"Now you are one of us," the Queen declared, "welcome to your new family, our new Rusalka."

And the initiation was complete; Marina the Little Mermaid was now a Rusalka and she was now in danger of forever losing her heart. The kiss the Queen had bestowed upon her had begun the journey Marina was now destined to make that would forever turn her into a heartless spirit incapable of love. Rusalki lose their hearts forever once their revenge on those who caused their deaths is complete. The Queen and her Rusalki daughters had already lost their hearts when they took their revenge against the men who had driven them to death and the revenge of a Rusalka is most unpleasant. She would choose her victim and find ways to make him pay and suffer for the pain he inflicted upon her and once the vengeance had begun, the Queen of the Rusalki would finish it by placing a deadly, inescapable curse on her daughter's victim. She and her Rusalki were destined to forever remain on the earth knowing anger, hatred and vengeance among other emotions of coldness and resentment. Once a Rusalka loses her heart, there is no turning back.

The Rusalki embraced their new sister and Marina could only accept their welcome, for she was no longer in control of her fate. She felt sadness knowing that now, she would never gain an immortal soul, but would exist forever on earth as an undead spirit of the sea.

* * *

On board the ship, all was astir and lively again, but the Prince and his bride, who had been in search of Marina, were gazing sadly into the seething foam, as if they knew she hurled herself into the waves. While his bride was filled with sorrow at the loss of Marina, the Prince felt himself overcome with a great sadness and was unable to tear his eyes from the sea, knowing with instinct that it had taken his dear little foundling. His bride could not help, but notice the sadness in his eyes.

"She meant a great deal to you, didn't she?" she said gently.

"She was most dear to me," he said, his gaze still fixated on the sea, "I deeply cared for her; she was the dearest friend I ever had and she loved me more than anyone else did. But why would she...?"

He was unable to finish and his eyes were now wet with tears; his bride took placed one hand on his and the other on his shoulder as she attempted to comfort him.

"It doesn't make sense," he managed to say, "I told her we were never to part, that we would always be together. I don't understand any of this and I feel that losing Marina has felt such a void that can never be filled."

"Well like you said, she was your dearest friend and such a dear friend can be replaced," his bride told him, "but she is with God now and she will always be watching over us."

The Prince finally drew his gaze from the sea and looked at his bride; her attempt to comfort him was working.

"You're right, she's our guardian angel now," he said as a smile appeared on his face, but it disappeared again, "but I'll always miss her."

"I know," his bride said reassuringly; she took his face in her hands, "but she'll always be with you as long as you hold her close."

The Prince smiled with gratitude and kissed his bride. He turned to look at the sea again, before joining her in all that was happening on board. And indeed, the young Princess was right when she told her new husband that Marina would always be with him. Marina would always be with the Prince, but not in the way his bride had referred to, for the former Little Mermaid had already decided how she was going to live her new existence.


	2. Chapter 2: The Message

_Thank you to **judygumm** for your review, I'm glad you like the story so far, but there is still more to come._

_To anyone else who's read the story, I hope you all liked it too. :)_

_Well anyway, here is the next chapter, so enjoy. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Message**

The ship sailed for hours until finally, it arrived in the Prince's kingdom. A huge welcome party was prepared for the Prince's return and he joyfully introduced his bride to her new home. By the end of the day, there was joy everywhere in the palace for the Princess had already won the hearts of all those who served her and her new mother and father-in-law were overcome with love and warmth for their daughter-in-law. In their eyes, she was an angel. However, joy was quite absent from one soul in the palace. The sadness and sorrow the Prince held over the loss of Marina had still not left him and he could not help, but still grieve for her. When sunset came, he took a bouquet of hand-picked flowers to the steps where he had met Marina, where he had found her naked and alone, washed up from the sea. He sat on the stone steps and his mind drowned in thoughts and memories of his dear little foundling; how he missed her and would always miss her. He had held so many questions about her that she could never answer; who she was, where she came from and now, he had more, but those questions would never be answered either. She was gone forever and he would never know everything about her that he had wanted to know. Tears were falling from his eyes and when at last, he stood up again, he stared at the waters of the sea and threw the flowers onto its surface.

"Goodbye Marina," he said softly, "you will always be in my heart."

He stood there for a few moments and watched as the waves carried the flowers out to sea that had been made golden by the sunset. The Prince looked on at the glorious sight and believed it was a sign telling him that Marina was with God in his most high kingdom that looked down upon the world. He finally turned away and walked up the steps back into the palace. The sun soon disappeared behind the sea and darkness was now covering the land, but as soon as the sun was gone, a figure silently rose from the sea and stood on the steps of the palace. It was Marina the Rusalka. She stood on the steps, her long hair draped over her dress and her beautiful face shone in the moonlight. Marina absorbed the familiar surroundings, but she could not feel anything; no warmth, no coldness, nothing. She could no longer feel the wetness of the sea or the breeze carried in the air or the dryness of the land; it was all gone. Undead spirits cannot feel what living beings can. Looking at the palace, she knew where she wanted to go and she walked up the steps and inside the palace. In silence and unseen, Marina walked through the familiar corridors and hallways, passing many of the people she had known for a brief time, but they did not even know she was there. Walking through the palace and up the grand staircase, she finally came to the Prince's room and through the doors she walked. Just like on the previous night, he was asleep with his bride and Marina approached him. She attempted to touch him, but found that she could not, so she traced his face with her pale fingers. Then she looked at his bride and a hard feeling of resentment suddenly overcame her.

"You are an imposter," Marina said bitterly, but she could not be heard, "a fraud, a deceiver because it was I who saved his life, not you. It was me he was meant to love, not you. It was me he was meant to marry, not you. And it should be me lying here beside him, not you."

She gazed cold and hard at the Princess and then, she looked back at the Prince and her cold gaze softened to one of tenderness and sorrow.

"My dear Prince," she said softly, "if only you knew; if only you'd known when there was still time. Well now, you will know the truth; you will see the truth in your dreams and you will know that was me, Marina, who rescued you from drowning."

And at this moment, Marina would work her first bit of magic in her new existence. She placed her hand over the Prince's heart and thought of what she wished to use her magic for, hopeful and confident that it would work as she planned. Within moments, the Prince began to toss and turn in his sleep and Marina smiled because she knew it had worked. She stood there and watched as he dreamed what she wanted him to dream. In the dream Marina had bestowed upon him, the Prince saw Marina in her former life as a mermaid and he saw all those who had been part of her life in the sea - her father, her sisters and her grandmother. Then he saw all of Marina's adventures to the surface and finally, the night of the storm, where he saw himself fall into the sea and Marina swimming to his rescue, carrying him back to the surface and to the beach where he met his bride. He saw everything that had happened afterwards - Marina's despair at not seeing him again, her sisters showing her where he lived, her grandmother telling her all about humans and their immortal souls and finally, Marina's visit to the Sea Witch. He saw it all; the deal she made, the loss of her tongue and voice, the potion she took and her transformation into a human. The rest the Prince already knew and what was shown to him next were memories that were very dear to him, except for one he didn't remember. When it reached his wedding night, he saw Marina with her sisters as they appeared to her from the sea and heard every word exchanged between them. He saw the knife they gave her and heard them telling her that she had to kill him if she was to be saved and live. Then he saw Marina take the knife into his chamber, but saw she could not kill him and instead, kissed him goodbye and threw herself into the sea, where she dissolved into the foam. And it was then that the dream ended and the Prince woke up in his bed beside his bride. Marina was no longer there, for the sun was already in the sky and Rusalki must return to their waterways at sunrise. The strange dream hit the Prince hard and he sat up, running his hands over his face and through his hair as he deeply questioned everything he had just seen; what did it all mean? Did it mean anything at all? Why did he dream such a dream of his dear little foundling?


	3. Chapter 3: The Revenge Begins

_Hi everyone, I'm very sorry for the delay in updating, but I've been having a little bit of a writer's block._

_But anyway, I finally got the next chapter written and here it is, so enjoy. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Revenge Begins**

For the whole day, the Prince remained deeply disturbed by his dream of Marina; so many more questions filled his mind. Why would he dream such a dream? Why would anyone dream such a dream? His wife could not help but notice her husband's distraction from everything they did that day, but every time she asked him what was on his mind, he assured her there was nothing to worry about. She did not believe him, for she could see the lack of truth in his eyes. While the confused Prince remained haunted by his dream, in the sea, Marina could not help, but feel hopeful that her plan would work. She believed the best option was to give the Prince a chance to realise his mistake rather than instantly exacting revenge, even if it was too late for them to be together.

When the sun eventually set after what had been a long day for the Prince, he lay in his bed beside his wife unable to sleep. The moon was already shining in the sky and the stars were visible, but the Prince remained awake, drowned in his thoughts. But little did he know that there was someone else in his room; little did he know that Marina had returned to visit him again that night. He could not see her, but she could see the disturbance in his face and she knew what he was thinking of. She smiled at the thought that her plan was working, but she felt maybe he needed to see everything again. Approaching the bed and standing beside him unseen, she helped him to fall asleep and bestowed the same dream upon him. She stayed at his side all night and watched him sleep, returning to the sea at sunrise.

This became a repeated routine for Marina - she visited the Prince every night and made him dream the same dream for the next few days. The Prince found himself thrown into more and more confusion, unable to find any sort of answer anywhere. Finally, after avoiding telling anyone for several days, he finally confided in his wife about his dreams of Marina and how much they had been troubling him. One night, when he was unable to sleep yet again, his wife demanded him to explain his strange behaviour to her and when she did not believe there was nothing wrong, he realised he had no choice and told her everything.

"I don't know why I keep dreaming about her," the Prince said after explaining what happened in the dreams, "I don't know why I would dream such dreams about her, it's all very confusing."

The Princess listened attentively to her husband and felt a disturbance rattle within her; was this a warning to her that the lies she had unwittingly told were catching up to her? She had known all along that her husband was alive when she had found him on that beach and she had let him believe that she had saved his life, but it had never occurred that someone else may have saved him. She been assuming all this time that he had been washed up on the beach by the waves, but now, he was dreaming dreams telling him that he had been rescued by another and that other was his beloved little foundling. But even now, the Princess was too cowardly and even selfish to tell the Prince the truth, for even though she was almost certain that she had deceived him, she still loved him dearly and could not bear to lose him. So instead, she decided to firmly turn his heart back to her.

"Maybe this is just part of your grieving," she said, "I know how much you miss Marina, so..."

"No, no," the Prince cut her off, "I don't think it is because it all felt... so real; it felt like it all happened. In fact, it all felt more like a memory rather than a dream. I dreamt that she was a mermaid and she saved me from drowning that night, but why would I dream of her as a mermaid? I never thought of her as a mermaid and besides, mermaids aren't real; they're just stories and fables told by sailors and pirates."

He then looked at his wife and took her hand.

"And besides, we both know that it was you who saved my life," he said as he looked into her eyes, "if it hadn't been for you finding me dead on that beach and bringing me back to life, I wouldn't be here. You did for me something that no one else has ever done and I have so much to thank you for."

The Princess remained silent when she heard those words and the look on her face did not match the happy and grateful one on her husband's; he could not help but notice this.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

At first, she struggled to answer, but eventually, she found her voice.

"Oh nothing, I'm just tired," she said, hoping it would convince him, "I do not know why you have been dreaming such dreams, but Marina is gone and you know you have to let her go."

"I know," the Prince replied, "and maybe you are right; maybe the reasons for these dreams is out of my missing her. But we cannot live in the past; we have our future together and I am so happy my future is with you. I love you."

"And I you, but now, let us sleep."

The Prince smiled at his wife and kissed her tenderly before they lay down in the bed to sleep, but the Princess held that look of worry on her face and kept it hidden from her husband. She lay there awake for a while as a feeling of guilt prevented her from sleeping, while the Prince slept peacefully with his arms wrapped around her. However, they were unaware that there was a third person in the room who had heard every word of their conversation. Marina had returned to work on her magic on the Prince once again, but instead, she found herself frozen to one spot by the window as she had watched and listened to what was said between the Prince and his wife. All the hope she had felt for the Prince to realise the truth had suddenly vanished and a strong feeling of anger and hatred overcame her as she looked on at the Prince expressing his thanks to the wrong woman. It was bad enough that the Princess had deceived him, but now, she was trying to make him forget Marina and Marina could find nowhere in her heart to forgive her for everything she had done. As she stood there staring coldly at the Prince and Princess, she suddenly heard the voice of the Queen of Rusalki speaking to her.

"Do you not see, Marina?" the Queen's cold voice said, "they are the ones responsible for your death and you have every right to hate them, especially the Princess. She stole the Prince from you and now, she is turning him against you. Remember you are a Rusalka now; you have the chance to take revenge and make them suffer as you have suffered. Take your revenge, Marina; they do not deserve your forgiveness. Take it!"

"She did steal him from me and she is turning him against me," Marina said, "she will pay, she must pay!"

The words of the Queen of the Rusalki had done their part and Marina walked to the side of the bed in which the Princess lay. She was still awake, but she was unaware of Marina's presence and once Marina made her fall asleep, she stretched her hand over the Princess's face and with much hatred in her eyes, she said:

"You stole him from me; you stopped him from realising that I was the one who saved his life and now, I will have my revenge. By the powers of the sea vested in me, I, Marina the Rusalka, curse you!"

Marina inflicted her curse and once she was finished, she left. She had accepted her new life as a Rusalka and now that she had chosen to seek vengeance, her heart was further shrinking. The next morning, when the Prince and Princess awoke, the Prince was about to greet his wife with a kiss, but when he saw her, he gasped in horror and quickly recoiled from her.

"What is wrong, dear husband?" she asked, but he made no answer.

He just sat there in the bed staring at her with eyes wider than saucepans. The Princess moved her hands to push back some of her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes, but when she saw her hands, she gasped and stared. They were not her hands; they were ugly and covered in wrinkled skin. She looked up at her husband and saw that he was still staring at her in horror. She touched her face and it did not feel familiar, so she slowly climbed out of the bed, walked towards the mirror that stood nearby and looked at her reflection. A scream suddenly rang throughout the palace for when the Princess looked in the mirror, she saw that her beauty and youth were gone and looking back at her was an old, ugly crone. Her screams were heard at the bottom of the sea and Marina the Rusalka could not help, but smirk a wicked grin for this was the beginning of her revenge.


	4. Chapter 4: The Curse

_Hi everyone, I'm very sorry for the long delay in updating, but I've been very busy lately. I've moved back to London, where I'm now studying a Masters_

_But anyway, I finally got the next chapter written and here it is, so enjoy. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Queen of the Rusalki's Curse**

Throughout that day, there was chaos in the palace. The Princess was in a great deal of distress and everyone was attempting to discover what had caused her to age and lose her beauty. The Prince brought in the best doctors and apothecaries he could find in the kingdom, hoping one of them could diagnose his wife's mysterious 'illness', but no matter how hard everyone tried, no answer or explanation could be found and no medicine seemed to cure her. There was no hope; as Marina had made it to be, the Princess would forever be old and ugly as punishment for stealing the Prince from her, nor would she ever bear children for her womb was as barren as her new physical appearance.

As the day was reaching an end and preparing for the arrival of night, the Prince, his parents and their council were in discussion in the throne room. The Princess was refusing to leave her bedroom and to allow anyone to look upon her and no one could think of a solution to this terrible turn of events. How could they solve something when they didn't know what has caused it? But while many questions were being and many solutions were offered, there was one person there who knew what had caused all this.

"A curse!" cried out the voice of one of the older members of the ship crew and everyone turned to look at him, "it is a curse that has been inflicted upon the Princess!"

The Prince was both startled and confused by these words and needed to know more.

"What are you talking about?" he asked the crew member.

"This is the doing of other worldly creatures," the old man said to all, "only the curse of a Rusalka could cause such despair to one."

"A what?" the Prince asked.

"A Rusalka, your highness. Rusalki are one of the many creatures that live in the sea, only they are not living, but the undead. They are the spirits of women who had their hearts broken and died in the sea, but it doesn't stop there. They remain on the earth as undead spirits and rise from the sea every night at sunset to seek vengeance on those who unwittingly sent them to their deaths. And once their revenge has started, it is finished by the most deadly Rusalka of all - their Queen. The Queen of the Rusalki finishes the revenge with a deadly curse and when her curse is cast, the victim will die as soon as they fall asleep. Be careful young Prince, for it seems that you have broken the heart of a young woman who went onto become a Rusalka and if you have, then you are in danger."

The Prince was puzzled, but at the same time, he could not help but feel troubled by the old sailor's words, however unlikely it seemed for them to be true. If Rusalki really existed and if it was a Rusalka who did turned his wife into an ugly crone, whose heart could he have broken? Who could he have unwittingly sent to her death? And then, he thought of Marina.

"No, it couldn't be," he thought to himself, "Marina had such a kind heart; she would never have harmed anyone. No, this cannot be true, it just cannot be true! My dear little foundling would never do such a thing! And there is no such thing as Rusalki; it's just another sailor's myth of the sea... but then, why did Marina die? Did she really take her own life? And if so, why? Was it because of me? Was she in love with me and did I break her heart?"

The Prince was deeply drowned in his thoughts when it appeared that he was putting pieces of the puzzle together and it all seemed to make sense. Was the old sailor telling the truth about Rusalki? Outside, the sun had just set behind the sea and nothing could have prepared the Prince and everyone in his presence for what was to happen at that very moment. A terrible, screaming wind blew through the windows, smashing them to pieces and the floor was covered in broken glass. The candles were blown out, leaving the room in darkness, but within seconds, they were relit in the form of blue flames that looked so cold and from the broken windows, a figure was seen flying into the throne room. When it came into light, it was revealed to be a young woman in a blue dress with a cold look in her eyes and she glided through the air to wards the Prince. She stood before him in the air, her cold eyes staring hard at him.

"The Queen of the Rusalki!" the old sailor cried out.

The Queen glared at him for a moment.

"As always, the old sailor is right," she said before looking back at the Prince, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

The eye contact between them was interrupted when several other Rusalki entered dragging the Princess. She was struggling to break free, until she saw the Queen, who just glared at the Princess and it was enough to make her freeze.

"Well done my daughters," the Queen said to the other Rusalki, before looking back at the Prince, "now we can begin."

The Prince was staring at his bride; he wanted to help her, but found himself frozen to the spot and the voice of the Queen of the Rusalki interrupted him.

"Look at me, human prince," she said and he found himself unable to disobey; she gestured at his wife, "do you know why you have been met by such grave misfortunes?"

The Prince remained silent and after a moment, shook his head in response.

"Well I will tell you now," the Queen replied, "it is because of the misfortunes that you placed on another."

Again, the Prince was silent, but he was greatly confused; what misfortunes had he placed on someone? The Queen instantly read his silent reaction to her words and was ready to talk again.

"You seem confused and puzzled, well I assure that everything will become very clear once I have explained everything," she said, "you placed a terrible misfortune on one you deeply cared for the moment you married a fraud, a deceiver and turned your back on the one you should've given your heart to!"

And this time, the Prince was able to find his voice again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in puzzlement, "What fraud? What deceiver? What do you mean I turned my back on the one I should've given my heart to?"

"Let me ask you a question first," replied the Queen, "is it true that you fell in love with your wife because you believed she rescued you from drowning?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

But at this reply, the Queen's eyes grew colder as she stared at the Prince with anger and hatred.

"You petty fool," she hissed and she turned to look at the Princess, "are you not going to tell him the truth?"

The Princess's eyes widened; she realised the Queen knew everything and she was being offered the chance to admit her deception.

"What truth?" the Prince asked shifting his sight back and forth between the Queen and his wife.

The Princess remained silent; she was too stunned to say anything and the Prince could not help, but clock her silence and the fear in her eyes.

"Very well," the cold voice of the Queen spoke and she looked back at the Prince, "the truth is that your wife did not rescue you from drowning because you were rescued by another."

At these words, the Prince looked at his wife and then back at the Queen, once again shifting his sight back and forth between them.

"I... I don't understand..." he said shakily.

"When she found you lying unconscious on that beach, you were still alive," the Queen continued, "your real rescuer did not come from the land; she came from the sea because she was not human like you. You were rescued from drowning by a mermaid, a beautiful, kind-hearted mermaid; the tales of creatures of the sea told by sailors are not just myths, legends and fables and I am living proof of that. The one who saved you from drowning; she was with you all along and you overlooked it. Didn't you ever wonder why your dear little foundling came to you from the sea?"

"My…" the Prince began to talk again, then he stopped; his mind was putting all the pieces of the puzzle together and it all made sense. His eyes began to fill with tears, "it was Marina? Marina was my rescuer? She… she was a mermaid?"

"Oh yes, but you already knew," the Queen said, "your dreams of her; they were a message to you, telling you of your mistake. They were not hallucinations; they were memories – Marina's memories of when she saved you… and when she fell in love with you. So you know everything - how she traded her voice in exchange for human legs, the pact she made with the Sea Witch and how she was given the chance to kill you to save her own life after you broke her heart. But she didn't take it; she just couldn't kill you. And if it hadn't been for me, she would have ceased to exist like every mermaid does when they die, but I gave her a new life as a Rusalka."

By now, tears were falling from the Prince's eyes for he knew that every word the Queen spoke was the truth. His dear little foundling had done more for him than he had realised and the tragedy caused by his actions were breaking his heart.

"She did all this... because she loved me," he said tearfully.

"Oh yes and look at how you repaid her," the Queen spat at him, "we Rusalki are the victims of rejection and heartbreak, just like Marina, and we are given the chance to seek revenge on those responsible for our deaths and Marina has exacted her revenge on your wife because she stole you from her."

They both looked at the Princess.

"The Prince was a very easy target;" the Queen said to her, "the situation in which you found him made it all the more easier for you to take advantage of him. He had just had a near-death experience and had been unconscious for half the night, so when you found on that beach and when he awoke and instantly assumed that you had saved him from drowning, you were very quick to seize the opportunity to manipulate and deceive him."

The Princess said nothing, but it was not necessary for to say anything for they could read her face like a book.

"She's telling the truth, isn't she?" the Prince asked her, but when his wife made no answer, he became angry, "Answer me!"

The volume of his voice made everyone in the room jump, but none more than the Princess. She finally looked at him with the guilt clearly present in her eyes.

**"**But it wasn't... how she says it was," she finally managed to say after a light nod.

This reply made the Prince choke on his tears and when he was able to, he looked at her again.

**"**You let me believe you saved my life, when in fact, you did... nothing?!" he cried. "You lied to me! You stopped me from realising that it was Marina who saved my life, that it was Marina I should've married..."

"You can try and place all the blame for Marina's fate on your wife if you wish," the Queen of the Rusalki interrupted him, "but she died because of you."

"No, no!"

"She died of a broken heart because of you! Because you failed to see her for who she really was and because you turned your back on what your heart was really telling you! In the end, you only proved yourself unworthy of her love."

"I... I didn't... I didn't know; if I had..." the Prince tried to say through his tears, but the Queen interrupted him again.

"You didn't want to know; you didn't want to even consider that you may have been wrong and because of that, you killed the woman you really loved. Marina saved your life, she sacrificed everything to be with you and you forsook her! And as it should always be, the guilty must be punished for their crimes!"

With these words, the Queen turned to look at the Princess again and said to the group of the Rusalki who were still restraining her, "My daughters, you know what to do."

Another terrible gust of wind came out of nowhere and blew through the throne room; everyone was knocked to the ground and before they could notice, the Princess was being lifted into the air by the Rusalki. They lifted her high enough for no one to be able to reach her and within seconds, flew with her out of the window and into the sea, where she met her doom. The Queen of the Rusalki turned back to the weeping Prince.

"And there is only one way to punish you for your crimes against love," she said as she approached him with a murderous look in her eyes.

Once she stood right before him, she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air.

"You have been deceived by your own foolish heart; Marina's revenge against you has begun and now, it is to be finished," she said and then, she slammed her hand against his heart and he felt a great pain within. "By the powers of the sea vested in me, I, the Queen of the Rusalki, curse you – should you ever fall asleep, you will never awake again for the moment you sleep, you will forget to breathe; your breathing will forever cease and you will die."

It had happened, the Queen of the Rusalki had placed her deadly curse and once she was finished, she let go of the Prince and he fell to the ground. As he fought to regain his breath, the Queen rose higher into the air before him.

"From this moment human prince, you are condemned to death," she declared, "Marina will forever remain a Rusalka and you will never see her again. As soon as you are dead, her heart will forever cease to exist and she will never know love again; all she will know will be anger, hatred and very cold feeling there is and this is a fate that you condemned her to."

She took one last cold look at him and then, she turned and flew out of the window and back into the sea to join her daughters. At the bottom of sea, Marina knew everything that had happened and when she knew the Prince was destined to die, she felt not the joy a Rusalka is meant to feel, but a great sadness. She had not wanted any of this; she had not wanted such a dark fate for herself or the Prince and now, her beloved Prince was destined to die. Suddenly, Marina felt a warmth in her chest and a strong beat; it was her heart regrowing and she knew her love for the Prince was still very much alive; even becoming a Rusalka could not deaden it and the Queen's curse could not make her heart cease to exist. Marina's love for the Prince was indeed eternal, but this time, she could not save him. She could, however, still see him and she could let him see her; she wanted to comfort him and to declare her love for him and there was still time. Silently, Marina rose to the surface.


	5. Chapter 5: A Second Chance

_Hi everyone._

_First of all, let me just say that I am so, so sorry for the long delay in updating! I've been very busy lately due to my uni work, so I'm really sorry to have kept you all awaiting! I'm really glad to see that you're liking the story and thanks very much for all your reviews! :)_

_But anyway, I finally got the next chapter written; I'm just sorry it took so long! But here it is, so enjoy. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 5: A Second Chance**

There was much commotion at the palace after the terrifying events of that evening - the Princess was dead, it had been revealed that the Prince had not married the girl who had saved his life and now because of his mistake, he was condemned to death. Everyone could talk of nothing, but the invasion of the Queen of the Rusalki and there was only one place where there was peace and silence. The Prince had dismissed himself from the company of his parents and their court and was sitting alone on the steps outside where he had met Marina. His heart was so overfilled with sorrow, grief and guilt and the tears he shed were not for himself or his dead wife; they were for his beloved Marina. Yes, that was what she was to him and that was what she always had been; only now that he knew everything did he realise what he had truly felt for her and he hated himself for not having realised it before when there was still time.

"What have I done? Why didn't I see it? How could I not have realised that Marina was the one who saved my life?" he kept thinking to himself, "Why didn't I listen to what my heart was really telling me? How could I have been so blind? How could I not have seen that it was her who I was really in love with? I should've married her when I had the chance, why didn't I realise sooner that I wanted to marry her?"

He looked at the sea before him and thought back over all the memories he had seen in his dreams; the memories of his dearest Marina and everything she had done for him. The cruel fate that he had been bestowed with didn't matter to him for now that he had lost Marina forever, life no longer had any meaning for him, but he wished more than anything that he could undo his mistake and rescue her from her own cruel fate, just like she had rescued him.

"I'm sorry, Marina," he said through his tears, "please forgive me!"

He buried his face in his arms and knees as he broke down into an ocean of tears; his grief was so strong that he could not fight it. But at that moment, a ghostly figure rose from the waters, stepped onto the steps and looked at the weeping Prince. The Prince, suddenly sensing that he was not alone, raised his head and saw the ghostly figure standing before him. He recognised her immediately; her long brown hair, her eyes, all the features he knew and loved so much.

"Marina?" he gasped as he quickly climbed back onto his feet, "is it you? Is it really you?"

"It's me, I'm here," she said softly.

The Prince was amazed and enchanted; for the first time, he heard her voice and she had the sweetest, most lovely voice he had ever heard. For a moment, he observed her beautiful features again and it suddenly dawned upon him how different she looked - he could see right through her, the colour was gone from her once rosy cheeks and she was as pale as death itself. She was still beautiful, but not as a heavenly creature, but rather a creature of death and despair; it was as if all the pain he had caused her was written all over her and he could see it very clearly. He reached out his hand to her hoping that he could touch her and when she gave her hand to him, they found that she could touch him, but the Prince shivered as soon as he touched Marina. She felt so cold, even colder than ice and winter and Marina could not feel the Prince's warm, soft skin.

"You're so cold," he said as he took her hand in his.

"I cannot feel anything," Marina sadly replied.

The Prince gazed at her and she at him and suddenly forgetting everything for a moment, he pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Marina could not feel the warmth of his embrace, but she put her arms around him and let him hold her.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" the Prince said through his tears.

For the first time since before her death, Marina felt happiness; she had thought that her beloved Prince would never hold her again and they forgot all their troubles for that one moment. Eventually, they came out of their embrace and the Prince ran his fingers through Marina's cold hair as he looked into her eyes.

"What have I done to you?" he said remorsefully.

"This is not your doing," she said softly; "you didn't draw me into this fate."

"It is because of me that you became one of those things," he replied as more tears fell from his eyes, "this is all my fault. If I had gone with my instincts and married you when I had the chance, none of this would've happened."

At those words, there was one question that Marina could not help but ask.

"Why did you not marry me?"

The Prince silently looked at her before he finally found the courage to answer.

"Because I was blind and I was afraid. I was afraid that... I would turn my back on the girl who saved my life; the girl who my heart belonged to, but now I know that that is exactly what I have done! I turned my back on you and I chose the wrong girl when it was really you who my heart belonged to... and it still does! But I completely believed that she had saved me and I didn't want to give my heart to anyone else; never once did I consider that I was wrong and that it was you who I was looking for and who I was in love with. I was a fool, a blind, mindless fool! Forgive me, Marina, forgive me!"

His guilt took hold of him so much that he fell to his knees, wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her waist; more tears rolled down his cheeks as he continually begged for forgiveness. Marina's heart was so touched by his remorse that she put her arms around him and tried to embrace him.

"I forgive you," she said tenderly.

The Prince looked up at her smiling at him and felt a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders, but Marina's lovely smile faded away.

"But now I must ask for your forgiveness," she said.

Puzzled, the Prince climbed back up to his feet.

"I must ask you to forgive me for what I did to your wife," she said looking at the ground, "and I am sorry that she is dead."

But the Prince shook his head and took her in his arms again.

"No, there is nothing you need to be forgiven for," he assured her, "I know it was not your fault. I am sorry too for the Princess's death, but I have no tears to shed for her; I only pray that God will have mercy on her soul."

Marina looked into his eyes and could not help, but notice a strong look of resentment.

"She took me away from you because I let her," the Prince continued, "I knew I had been rescued from drowning, I knew in my heart that a young girl had saved me and I was so drawn to the girl who found me on the beach that when I met you, I never even thought it may have been you who rescued me."

"You had no reason to think it was me," Marina said as she attempted to touch his face, "you never saw me that morning and you didn't know that mermaids existed."

"It doesn't matter," the Prince said shaking his head, "you were so dear to me, more dearer than anything else in the world and that should have been enough. I should have forgotten about the girl who I thought saved my life because a part of me was telling that I should have forgotten her and married you because I was never going to feel for anyone what I felt for you. I turned my back on my true feelings for you, but now I know how much you truly mean to me - I love you, Marina. Not as a sister and not as I'd love a child; I am in love with you and I know now that I've loved you from the moment I saw you. I am sorry that it took for all this to happen to make me realise that. I was blind and you never should have spared me; you never should have died, it should have been me."

"No, I couldn't kill you; I could never kill you and so I spared you. My life was over, but you still had yours and I couldn't take that away from you; it was my choice."

The Prince looked at her and was overwhelmed by the absence of anger in her eyes; he saw now sign of cold feeling for him and his actions at all. All he could see a loving, tender look as she looked at him.

"Even after I forsook you, you still stood by me," he said gently, "after I made you be a bridesmaid at my wedding to a deceiver, how could you still choose me?"

"I love you and I always will," Marina instantly said in reply, "my heart has regrown because despite becoming a Rusalka, my love for you will never die."

She smiled at him and he could only smile back as he took a moment to just look at her and he stroked her cheek.

"You are so wonderful," he said, "I love you more than ever I did before."

"Because it was me who saved you from drowning?" Marina asked smiling.

"No, because you have the most beautiful of hearts; you have done more for me than anyone else ever has."

They smiled at one another for a moment before they moved in closer and their lips came together in a most tender kiss and it was then that the final miracle happened. Marina felt a strange warmth overcome her as the Prince wrapped his arms around her and after a moment, she found that she could feel him; that she could feel everything - the cool night air, the soft breeze and the warmth of the Prince's embrace. The Prince too noticed a change as Marina no longer felt cold to him; instead, he could feel the familiar warmth and softness of her body. They pulled apart and as soon as the Prince looked at Marina, he saw not a Rusalka, but his beautiful, beloved little foundling with all her original features and Marina quickly acknowledged how she was no longer a Rusalka, for she had warm flesh and she felt alive. By the good grace of God, she had been restored to life by the Prince's kiss and their declaration of love to each other.

"I'm alive; you have saved me!" she exclaimed.

They were both overcome with joy, so much that the Prince scooped Marina into his arms as they hugged and kissed, knowing that she would no longer face the dark fate of a Rusalka. The Prince looked at her with so much love and passion and after a silent moment, he suddenly said:

"Marry me! Let me do what I should have done before!"

Marina could only stand looking at him in astonishment; the Prince took both her hands into his.

"I love you Marina and I always will," he said, "I cannot bear to live without being your husband, will you marry me?"

She remained silent, until finally, her face was lit up again with a smile.

"Yes, I will!"

Overcome with joy, the Prince pulled her back into his embrace; finally, things were going as they should have gone, but not for long.

"You sacrificed everything you had for me and for a soul," the Prince said, "and in the short time that I have left, I won't let everything you've done be in vain, especially when we have been given a second chance."

The smile suddenly faded from Marina's face when the Prince spoke those words as she remembered the Queen's curse; the curse was unbreakable and nothing could undo it. She felt her heart break all over again knowing that her beloved Prince was going to die and she would lose him again. Together, they poured out their own grief at the second separation that they were to face and fell into each other's arms again, but then, a familiar voice came to Marina.

"Marina," it was the voice of the Sea Witch, "your heart is broken and although the Queen of the Rusalki interceded our deal, it is still to be fulfilled. Only now, you are destined to die of the broken heart caused by the death that awaits your Prince."

Marina listened attentively and, breaking away from the Prince, she looked out at the sea, but only she could hear the voice of the Sea Witch.

"If I am still to die, then give us some time to be together," Marina gently pleaded, "give me the chance to become his wife and to gain an immortal soul. Let me die a human death with him."

"Very well," the Sea Witch replied, "you still have the chance to gain your soul, but you will die when the sun rises tomorrow."

"Thank you."

And with that, the Sea Witch had said all she needed to say. Marina turned to look at the Prince, who looked very confused and curious.

"You will not die alone," Marina told him as she took his hand, "I will die with you."

She told him everything that just been said between her and the Sea Witch and at first, the Prince could not decide if he was happy or sad, but Marina assured him that this was a happy time because if God was kind to them, they would die together and their souls would ascend into his kingdom where they would be forever united. That was now their fate and the Prince went silent with happiness, something that Marina could not help noticing.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just feel so happy," he said smiling, "I know that's a strange thing to say given our situation - today, I discovered that I'd married the wrong girl and condemned the girl I love to such a cruel fate, which I've now saved her from. I've been cursed to die and we will both die together, but I feel my life has just begun."

"So do I," Marina replied with her own smile as she stroked his cheeks, "I feel more alive than I ever did because of you."

Their lips came together again in another passionate kiss and after they parted, they knew there was no time to lose.

"Come," the Prince and he lifted his fiancée into his arms, "it's time I became your husband and you my wife."

And he carried her through the castle to the private Royal Chapel inside where their small private wedding was to be held.


End file.
